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High-powered lineup of swimmers nominated to Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team

The first athletes have been nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for its Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team. Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young announced this morning the names of 40 ... Facebook Twitter Pinterest

The first athletes have been nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for its Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team. Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young announced this morning the names of 40 swimmers at a poolside ceremony at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC))

TORONTO, March 23, 2015 /CNW/ - The first athletes have been nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for its Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team.

Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young announced this morning the names of 40 swimmers at a poolside ceremony at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

Following the 2015 Can Am Para-swimming Championships held this past weekend, Swimming Canada, the sport governing body, nominated a total of 40 of the nation's best para-swimmers, 24 men and 16 women, to the team.

The team includes 15 Paralympians, including 19-time Paralympic medallist Benoit Huot (Longueuil, Que.) a veteran of the national team at age 31, along with Montreal's Aurélie Rivard, aged 18, a silver medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Three-time Paralympian Adam Purdy (London, Ont.), a two-time gold medallist in at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, was nominated after a seven-year hiatus.

"It was such an honor to announce the nominations for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games swim team this morning," said Team Canada's Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young, herself a four-time Paralympic swimmer. "It is truly a highlight moment in an athlete's career and I can still remember who I was standing next to and what I was wearing on the pool deck when I found out I had made the team for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. It was very special this morning to see the faces of the athletes as they heard their names. I know they will all be ready to swim fast and help our Canadian Parapan Am Team achieve our goal of finishing in the top three nations."

Swimming Canada Para-swimming National Head Coach Craig McCord of Richmond, B.C. will serve as head coach. Para-swimming Performance Coach Vince Mikuska of Chilliwack, B.C., has also been appointed as a team coach. The remaining coaching staff will be selected next month.

"The team this summer is made up of 25 swimmers who will also compete at IPC World Championships in Glasgow and have the potential to compete for medals at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games," said McCord. "The TO2015 group will include those 25, along with 15 swimmers from our next generation group. We are working in a number of areas to develop our next generation of athletes identified as 2020 podium potential, and they will have the opportunity to compete at Parapan Ams on home soil."

The Para-swimming team is the first of 14 Canadian teams to be nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games, which take place Aug. 7 to 15. Canada is expected to send approximately 220 athletes to the Games and has set a goal of finishing in the top three nations in the total medal count. Qualification is ongoing and the full team will be officially unveiled in July 2015.

With tickets for the TORONTO 2015 Parapan Am Games tickets going on sale today at 1 p.m. (ET), TORONTO 2015 mascot PACHI was onsite with the swimmers to celebrate. Parapan Am events are expected to draw big crowds, particularly the sports of athletics, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. Tickets will be available online at TORONTO2015.org/tickets.

"Congratulations to all of the athletes who were named today to the Canadian Para-Swimming Team for the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games," said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). "I commend you on all your training and the efforts you have devoted to make the team, and I wish you all the best as you enter your final preparations for the Games. Along with the coaches, family and supporters who have encouraged you, I join all Canadians in wishing you the best as you strive for the podium in Toronto. Your accomplishments during this Year of Sport in Canada will inspire future generations to reach for their goals, just as you are doing."

PHOTOGRAPHY: Media are invited to visit photos.paralympic.ca and create an account to be able to download high-resolution photos of Canadian Paralympic and Parapan Am athletes at any time, at no cost.

About Swimming Canada

Swimming Canada is the national governing body for all levels of swimming. The organization promotes and manages swimming programs from entry-level to high performance teams and competitions, including world championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organization works in conjunction with national partners, provincial branches, and regional clubs to encourage a lifestyle of swimming, fitness and health.

Swimming Canada formed as the Canadian Amateur Swimming Association in 1909, after Canada made its first appearance at the London 1908 Olympic Games.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 25 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee's vision is to be the world's leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian high performance athletes with a disability and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca

Image with caption: "The first athletes have been nominated for selection to the Canadian Paralympic Committee for its Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games Team. Chef de Mission Elisabeth Walker-Young announced this morning the names of 40 swimmers at a poolside ceremony at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. (CNW Group/Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150323_C7956_PHOTO_EN_13462.jpg